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No
matter where on earth you choose to build your home, an
unfortunate natural disaster is possible. Although some areas
are more prone than others, it is "WISE"
to consider utilizing building products and techniques that
curtail natural disasters from destroying your home.
Flooding
A
"Sump-pump" may be warranted if you have a below grade
basement with a high ground water table or frequent excessive
rains.
Get
two or three opinions from quality professionals to find out if
you will actually need one installed in your basement. In
addition, check with your local building ordinance to find out
if a sump pump is mandatory.
Go
to: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/flood/sumppump.htm
http://www.sspma.org/pumps/index.html
Seismic
Activity
All
over the world countries have experienced an earthquake at one
seismic level or another.
An
earthquake is bound to happen anywhere there is a fault line.
Therefore, it is "WISE"
to consider this topic even if you don't live in well-known
earthquake zones—check it out...
Go
to:
http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1999/Aug99/r082099.html
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/prepare/factsheets/SaferStructures/
http://www.scecdc.scec.org/eqcountry.html
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/area.html
http://www.onr.com/user/llbrown/knowwhat/000061.htm
http://www.fasteningsolutions.com/
http://www.ci.san-leandro.ca.us/earthquakeindex.html
Radon
and Uranium Health Risks
The
EPA has several articles that are a must-read that deal with
Radon and Uranium exposure, and their effects.
If
you want to ensure that your home will be safe for you, your
family, and the environment please read through the articles on
the following website to find out what precautions should be
taken to avoid any health problems later on down the road.
Go
to: http://oaspub.epa.gov/webi/meta_first_new2.try_these_first
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/construc.html
High
Winds
For
those persons who live in areas prone to storms that produce
high winds it is "WISE"
to build a "Safe Room"
to protect your family. Just because you build a basement, it
does not mean you will be protected.
There
have been many instances where someone was critically, or even
fatally, injured by either falling debris or flying objects in
their basements during a tornado. Therefore, to insure the
prevention of the aforementioned, a proper safe room should be
built.
Safe
rooms don't have to be built in a basement either. FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency), has put out an instruction manual
that you can download directly to your computer. Go
to:
http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsfs07.htm
Natural
Resource Depletion
Have
you ever wondered what would happen if we depleted our earth's
resources ? The worst...
...disaster
of all time may not caused by nature, it may be caused by
human-nature!
The
way things are going, one day our natural resources will be
depleted if we don't get with the program and start utilizing
more recycled and energy conservation products.
Have
you ever heard the term "Building Green"? Well, that's
a term that more and more people are taking seriously—and
it's time we all do. "Green" building is all about
utilizing products that have been approved by astringent
guidelines that include: Recycled, salvaged, energy conservation
and renewal products, as well as environmentally safe products
for us and our earth.
To
find out more about "Building Green" visit the
following web sites:
Go
to: http://www.usgbc.org/
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greenbuilder/
http://www.greenbuilder.com/Sourcebook/
Not
only is it vital to utilize "Green" building products,
appliances, and air equipment, but we should also utilize
all-natural, non-toxic cleaning and personal hygiene
products to maintain a healthy environment within our
home once it's finished.
The
term "Biodegradable" is a word that can be abused
easily. Don't be fooled into buying "toxic" products
have the word "Biodegradable" stamped on them to make
you believe that they are totally environmentally safe—but
they just may not be!
Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary gives this definition for
"biodegradable":
"capable
of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the
action of living things (as microorganisms)..."
Now,
if you don't know what innocuous means,
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives this
definition: "1: producing no injury..."
All
this definition means, is that over time, a substance will
break-down into a harmless product. What is not said, is that it
could take months, or even years, to happen!
I
am going to give you a little test. The next time you are at the
grocery store, go down the cleaning and laundry isle and take a
whiff...
...what
do you smell? Well, you should be over-consumed by the smell of
cleaning products! If not, then it's probably because you are
used to smelling those dreadful toxins.
After
using non-toxic earth-friendly products, you will never want to
go back down that cleaning isle again—the odor will be
unbearable!
Did
you know you're probably wearing around those toxins right now?
If you are using a detergent that contains toxins you are. It is
virtually impossible to get all the...
...detergent
residues out of your clothing in the rinse cycle. Everything
washed with that detergent and then put against your skin
exposes you to it's toxins.
There
are three different ways that our bodies can be exposed to toxic
chemicals: by breathing them in, by absorbing them through our
skin, and by ingesting them.
Once
toxins are introduced into our bodies, they can cause all kinds
of damage and illnesses such as: cancer, neurological and
behavioral disorders, asthma, skin rashes, dry-itchy skin,
allergies, and much more.
To
be a "WISE"
consumer, you want to use products that are harmless when you
open that bottle, jar, or box—before you let it out into
the environment.
Go
to Natural
Products
to find
wonderful all-natural, non-toxic human, animal, and
environmentally safe products
that we have personally used and have found to be far superior
to others.
Take
a look at the following web sites. Each contains valuable
information that can make a difference in you and your family's
lives, as well as have an impact on our environment.
Go
to: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/general/sortgrn.htm
http://www.turi.org/community/WhatAreToxics.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-06.html
http://www.nrdc.org/health/
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